BooksBarbecue
Back Someone Had to Do It
Chapters (39)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Authors
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  37. THE STORY BEHIND SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT
  38. SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT: THE PLAYLIST
  39. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

I can feel it in his body whenever he presses against me. It’s an awkward stiffness, a constant trembling. And every time I look into his eyes it’s as if I can see him thinking a thousand things at once. Despite his light words, I can see exhaustion in every line of his face. He looks like he hasn’t slept the whole time I’ve been away. He’s taking this just as hard as I am, and that makes me feel a little better. It’s like we’re in this together, always.

Nate helps me rinse and condition my hair, and it’s more intimate than any sex we’ve ever had. We dry off together, then, with all the lights off, climb into bed. Nate holds me quietly for a moment, but I can still feel the stress in his body like it’s my own. We don’t say anything for the longest stretch of time. Sometimes there’s no need for words when you know someone well enough to know exactly what they’re thinking.

Time passes.

Sleep won’t find me. My body is exhausted, but my mind won’t stop working. For a while I watch Nate sleep, his head on my chest, rising and falling gently with every breath I take, lips parted in a way that makes him seem much younger than he is. It occurs to me that I’m probably viewing him the way his mother will view him forever, and the thought warms some fragile part of me.

Sometime later Nate stirs, like he’s fighting to stay on that other side of consciousness, and I look down and see that his eyes are open, but only halfway, his face slack with sleep. I reach down between us and squeeze his hand. He squeezes mine back, the smallest movement, as if to say I’m here, I’m not leaving, and that’s all I need.

21

TAYLOR

My phone almost drops from my hand. “Released? What do you mean, released?”

“She posted bail,” Detective Bierman says, his voice resigned. “Listen, I fought the prosecutor not to grant bail, but she did. It is what it is. This doesn’t change anything. What we have is concrete. We will—”

I drop the call.

Mei slips in from my bathroom, lighting a cigarette. “What happened?”

I look at her, my eyes on fire. “Nate’s helping her.”

She frowns, confused. “I thought you—”

“I did.”

She takes a long, indulgent drag, then blows a thick cloud of smoke my way. “You need to go handle him.”

I put my head in my hands and push out a hard breath. “Fuck.”